Bulldogs Fall To No. 10 Knights

Feb. 10, 2007

POTSDAM, N.Y. - Shawn Weller scored twice to lead a hot, No. 10 Clarkson men's hockey team to a 5-1 win over visiting Yale at Cheel Arena in ECACHL play.

The Elis, scoreless on eight power-play chances, outshot the Golden Knights 25-23 but Clarkson was the team taking advantage of its scoring chances. Clarkson (19-7-4, 11-4-3) finished 2-for-9 with the man-advantage.

David Leggio stopped 24 of 25 shots to help the home team win for the fourth time in five games.

Alec Richards got his first start in three games and made 14 saves over two periods. Matt Modelski, who gave up one tally, played the last 20 minutes and had four stops.

The Bulldogs (9-13-3, 6-11-1 ECACHL) had plenty of chances to light the lamp first with four power-plays in an opening period they outshot the home team 9-3. Working on its fourth man-advantage, Yale lost possession of the puck around the Clarkson blueline and Shawn Weller poked it ahead with a race to the net. As Weller moved over the Yale blueline, Bulldog defenseman Matt Cohen caught up and got between the Knight and the goal. However, Weller (13th goal) moved into the low slot and flipped a nifty backhander on the ice past Cohen and between Richards' legs at 16:14. The shorthanded score made it 1-0 at 16:14.

The second period began in a scary fashion for the visitors, who were down two men for 72 seconds but did not allow a goal. Richards made a few difficult stops but Clarkson never had a long look at the net.

The Knights waited for their next man-advantage opportunity to make it 2-0. David Cayer, holding the puck in the left circle, sent a pass to the low slot where Weller (14th) one-timed the puck inside the near post past Richards' stick at 7:42.

Clarkson, which had a 15-8 edge in second-period shots, made it a 3-0 game less than seven minutes later on a nice behind-the-net feed from Nick Dodge. The junior center hit Brodie Rutherglen (6th) in the low slot and the puck quickly whizzed inside the near post at 14:36.

The home team was clearly winning the battles for the puck in the corners and it was never more evident than on the fourth goal. Jeremiah Crowe took it away from Brennan Turner in the Bulldog end and walked into the low slot alone before wristing one into the back of the net 1:33 before the second intermission.

The Bulldogs, who inserted Modelski in the net, were not able to capitalize on a nearly two-minute 5-on-3 at the beginning of the third period but broke through with a goal a few minutes later. Michael Karwoski (4th) grabbed a Sean Backman rebound, held the puck as Leggio went down and then flipped it over him at 6:48 to make it 4-1. But it was too late for a comeback.

Shea Guthrie added a late power-play goal to make it 5-1.

BULLDOG BITES

The Bulldogs entered Saturday's game in a three-way tie for 10th place, just four points out of sixth place in a packed ECACHL standings... This was the first time this season Yale skated against nationally ranked teams on consecutive nights... The Golden Knights suited up 10 players who have been drafted by National Hockey League teams

Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director